Academic Research Partnerships & Programs Lead

Responsibilities

• Build a pipeline of funded labs, research centers, and technical champions at priority R1 universities; qualify opportunities based on workflow value, funding path, influence, and expansion potential.
• Run discovery with researchers and university stakeholders to understand workflows, data and security needs, procurement constraints, and success criteria.
• Design and operate phased access and fellows programs, including eligibility, selection, offer mechanics, onboarding, office hours, community programming, and pilot goals.
• Translate research workflows into effective use of Pro, Codex, API, and ChatGPT Edu in partnership with Solutions, Product, and Education account teams.
• Manage pilots end to end, remove trust, funding, and technical blockers, and drive measurable activation, retention, and expansion.
• Turn early usage into product feedback, workflow documentation, peer proof, case studies, and repeatable enablement.
• Build clear handoffs and expansion paths from researcher to lab to institution; track fellow selection, activation, retained usage, workflow proof, conversion, and expansion.
• Launch and manage a community of researchers with events, communications and support.

Requirements

• Relevant experience in business development, program management, partnerships, or technical go-to-market work serving higher education, research, developer, or technical communities.
• Proven credibility with funded labs, hard-science researchers, or R1 universities.
• Strong program design and operating judgment, with the ability to move from an ambiguous concept to a measurable, repeatable motion.
• Technical fluency with AI platforms and research workflows; able to run credible discovery with researchers and research IT.
• Ability to navigate complex institutions across researchers, central and research IT, procurement, funders, administrators, and executive sponsors.
• Clear communication, high judgment, and strong cross-functional execution in a fast-moving environment.

Nice-to-Haves

• PhD and experience within funded lab research.
• Hands-on experience with AI platforms, developer products, or research infrastructure.